Many power generation plants operate a Rankine cycle heat engine. In a Rankine cycle heat engine, a working fluid is vaporized to drive a vapor turbine and then condensed to a liquid to be vaporized again. An exemplary power generation plant which operates a Rankine cycle heat engine is an Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) plant. In an OTEC plant, cool sea water is pumped from deep in the ocean and used to condense a working fluid. Hot surface sea water heated by the sun is then used to vaporize the working fluid. Other exemplary power generation plants which operate a Rankine cycle heat engine include coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear power generation plants.
Other power generation plants operate a Brayton cycle engine. In a Brayton cycle engine, compressed air runs through a mixing chamber where fuel is added. The pressurized air and fuel mixture is then burned to drive a gas or combustion turbine. Some natural gas power generation plants operate using a Brayton cycle engine. In addition, some power generation plants combine the Brayton and Rankine cycles.